Faisalabad, Pakistan: September 24, 2011. (PCP) Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) joins hands with Global Human Rights Defense (GHRD) in the campaign against modern slavery. HRFP as a partner of GHRD is striving to protect and restore human and legal rights of those who get badly affected by various forms of modern slavery especially human trafficking and bonded labor. Recently the two successful awareness activities are conducted in carrying out the objectives of Fight Modern Slavery (FMS) Campaign. The following are the conducted activities by HRFP and GHRD. 1. Awareness Rally - “Stop Bonded Labor & Human Trafficking” 2. Awareness through screening documentary film “Sold – A Child Trafficked” Awareness Rally –Stop Bonded Labor and Human Trafficking: On 16 September a rally at Press Club - Katchery Bazar(Clock Tower), Faisalabad was organized to record a protest against Bonded Labor and Human Trafficking which are recognized as the most popular and profitable offenses in the crime industry and human rights violations. The preliminary objective of the rally was to create awareness among the general public about the modern slavery especially the cases of human trafficking and bonded labor which are violating the human rights in general and Women & Children Rights in particular. The other motive of this rally was to raise the sensitivity of this issue and the problems of the affected victims up to the Policy makers of Government. Mr. Naveed Walter President for HRFP, Mr. George Clement Ex-MNA (Member of National Assembly) & Parliamentary Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Dr. Johnson (Social Activist) were the main speakers of this event. There were above than 200 participants in the rally who were from different walks of life. The Political workers, Human rights activists, Teachers, Lawyers Students, loboors and some victims with their families actively participated in the protest. Media representatives were also invited to record the coverage of rally and to broadcast and highlight the theme of this event at local and national level. The participants were condemning the acts of Modern Slavery through raising Slogans like “Stop Human Trafficking, Stop Bonded Labor, Stop Child labor, Restore Human Rights, Restore Minorities Rights, All Human Beings are equal”, etc. The participants were shouting with sorrow and pain which they were feeling for the victims of human trafficking and bonder labor. They were also carrying banners, posters and play cards in their hands which was giving a meaningful message to the general public. The most sentimental part of the rally was when the two victims of Modern Slavery, a female named as Ms.Zubeida and a male named as Mr. Younas shared their life changing experience with the general public. Ms.Zubeida told that she was a victim of bonded labor & slavery and her labor was demanded or commanded as a means of repayment for a loan taken by his father and that she was tricked and trapped into working for very little or no pay, often for seven days a week. She said the value of her work according to her experience was invariably greater than the original sum of money borrowed by his father. Likewise, Mr. Younas a misfortune victim of human trafficking also shared his story; Younas said he was deceived by one of his relatives in the desire to get settle at abroad (Malaysia). He said that number of peoples got trapped in the greed to go abroad illegally by giving less amount of money to different agents. Both the victims Ms.Zubeida and Mr. Younas condemned the prevalence of human trafficking and bonded labor and they demanded urgent legislation act to eradicate the existence of modern slavery from our society. President of HRFP Mr. Naveed Walter said, Modern Slavery is a serious threat to the dignity and respect of humanity. He said HFRP will continue to strive for a society which will be free of slavery, trafficking, bonded labor and other severe forms as well. Mr. Naveed Walter said that the Government should play positive and constructive role to combat the infection of slavery from the roots of our culture. Mr. George Clement Ex-MNA (Member of National Assembly and Ex- Parliamentary Secretary of Foreign Affairs) also shares his point of view in details. He said that it is very shameful for all of us that in the world of globalization, information technology and sciences how the peoples especially women’s and small girls and boys are trapped in the black clouds of modern slavery, He said that salves are treated so brutally by their owners, that each and every decisions of their life decided by their owners. Infect they become their Godfathers. We condemn it and demands to eliminate it from the society. Dr. Johnson (Social Activist) also condemned the acts of human trafficking, child labor, bonded labor and all violations of human rights. He said that now the time has come when we should and we must take definite steps to discourage and depreciate the illegal acts of slavery. At last, Program Coordinator for HRFP Mr. Zohaib Newton thanked to Global Human Rights Defense (GHRD) for funding this awareness against modern slavery. He also thanked to the all participants, resource persons, women, victims, bonded labors and their children and every stakeholder of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) for making this event successful. Awareness through screening documentary film “Sold – A Child Trafficked”: On September 20, 2011, An awareness activity was organized at CHESS Center, Faisalabad to create consciousness of modern slavery especially the human trafficking and bonded labor by using a unique mode of communication. HRFP and GHRD create awareness through documentary film of trafficked girls with the help of multimedia. This documentary film presents by Global Human Rights Defense (GHRD) to highlight modern slavery campaign at broader level and to protest these unhealthy events. This activity was organized for civil society representatives, activists, teachers and youth. Mr. James Lal (National Co-coordinator of Teacher’s Team Pakistan) was the Resource Person of the awareness activity. A documentary film which was related with the true story of two innocent girls who become the victims of human trafficking and bonded labor by the plan of their closed relatives. One was just 9 years of age when she become the victim of trafficking. She was trapped by his uncle that he will arrange a respectful job for her but unfortunately was thrown in the field of sex industry by him. She told that she tried to get out of the brothel several times but always get failed because the guards always caught her and beat her so brutally that she never tried again to run away. The second girl was having the similar story that she got trafficked at the age of 12 years. She said that she was forced to become prostitute and when she refused to do that; she was also beaten inhumanly. The story of both girls was very heart-touching and were putting question in the minds of participants that: Why these incidents took place with innocent girls and children? The participants were touched to see the real stories of trafficked girls. After the Documentary film, Mr. James Lal (resource person) shares his expert opinion regarding modern slavery . He said, Modern Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property and are forced to work anytime and anywhere. Human Trafficking and Bonded labor are those illegal and unlawful forms of modern slavery which is rapidly increasing across the globe. He said, we should work exclusively against slavery and other related abuses. An interactive session was also conducted in which participants asked different questions from Mr. James Lal and discussed more with each other regarding the types and forms of modern slavery. The interactive session was very informative. At last, President of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) Mr. Naveed Walter thanked all the participants and Resource Person for their active participation. He said that HRFP and GHRD will continue fighting against modern slavery and will make our society free from all forms of Slavery and Human Rights Violations. He thanked specially to GHRD for funding the both activities of FMS campaign.